How we rate the beaches
We help you compare forecast conditions on Almería beaches and choose when to visit. The rating estimates swimming comfort: it is not a review of the beach or a safety guarantee.
What the score means
Each score applies to the beach and time you select. 9–10: Excellent; 7–8.5: Good; 5.5–6.5: Acceptable; 4–5: Fair; 1–3.5: Best avoided. Ratings are rounded for display, so beaches with the same rating may have different positions. Home and map share the order for the same time and data. Acceptable indicates limitations: check the reasons, hourly forecast and flags.
“Now” describes the forecast for the current time. A morning, afternoon or full-day rating summarises that period, which may include better and worse hours. The comment highlights relevant changes; check the hourly forecast to choose when to go. We indicate when required data are missing: missing information does not mean calm weather or good conditions.
Forecast snow makes swimming inadvisable. Hourly gusts and precipitation refer to the selected interval. Forecast rain limits the rating even when the sea is calm. When light rain or a chance of rain affects only a minor part of the period and wind and sea conditions do not call for caution, the summary reflects the predominant conditions and identifies the affected hours. Each hourly score still reflects that rain or its chance. Intense episodes, persistent rain and restrictions retain their priority; hours that have already passed do not improve the score for the remaining time. We distinguish isolated wet hours from rain affecting much of the selected period, and indicate the affected hours. Heavier forecast rain receives more restrictive treatment. Rain probability expresses uncertainty and does not by itself mean that rain will occur. Check the hourly forecast before travelling.
Why beaches differ
We consider wind, gusts, waves, rain or storms and available flags. Each beach’s orientation and shelter help us interpret the same area forecast. These adjustments require continued local comparison. If wave direction is missing, we retain the forecast height without a shelter reduction; this is not a shoreline measurement. Coastal orientation and the provisional wind reference are distinguished where needed, including La Garrofa and Cala Higuera. Transitions between nearby wind directions are smoothed numerically; this does not establish measured shelter or remove local differences. The conditions category follows the displayed rating; official warnings retain their precautionary recommendation. In La Garrofa and El Palmer, transitions between northerly and neighbouring wind directions are gradual. This does not establish a measured shelter effect from the north.
At Palmer and Garrofa, a provisional correction avoids overstating shelter in southwesterly winds, while preserving west-southwesterly, westerly and easterly treatment. It uses coastal orientation and qualitative observations; it is not a calibration validated by local measurements. It does not modify waves or extend to Aguadulce harbour.
At San José, San Pedro, Agua Amarga and Cala Higuera, shoreline orientation has been reviewed using IGN and OpenStreetMap cartography; this corrects geometry and does not validate shelter percentages. At Garrofa, shoreline orientation is distinguished from the provisional wind profile, which is retained without recalibration. At La Romanilla, the shoreline orientation has been checked against IGN and OpenStreetMap cartography; wind shelter remains an estimate. At Aguadulce, Las Salinas de Roquetas, La Romanilla, La Bajadilla and Playa Serena, wind and gust shelter discounts are revised for southwesterly and westerly flow. At Torre García, frontal exposure to those winds is considered. The treatment of easterly winds is preserved. This uses the forecast and coastal orientation; it is not a shoreline wind measurement.
When gust data is missing, we do not replace it with a figure calculated from wind speed or give a favourable score based on those incomplete data. Wind and sea figures are estimates, not shoreline measurements. Wind direction describes where the wind comes from; its effect varies between beaches. Air and water temperatures provide context for your visit. Calm-looking water does not rule out currents or other risks.
Flags, warnings and jellyfish
A flag is only shown as currently official when its source confirms that it applies today. “Estimated” or “Forecast” identifies our guidance, not a flag raised by lifeguards. Publications without a verifiable date remain secondary references.
Official AEMET warnings are distinguished from our guidance comments. During the affected period and within the warning area, the rating retains forecast conditions, while the warning determines the precautionary recommendation. The map retains ordinary rating circles; warnings appear in the summary and each beach detail; a high rating does not establish safety or override the warning. Yellow warnings prevent a favourable recommendation; orange and red warnings lead to Best avoided. A worse estimate or official beach restriction always takes priority. This is our precautionary policy, not a rating issued by AEMET or a measure of safety. Local weather symbols continue to follow the forecast: an area warning does not establish rainfall at every beach. If we cannot verify them, we say so and link to the official source.
Jellyfish reports are recent user observations with their own dates. They do not predict jellyfish presence on the selected day or change the weather score. Species identifications have no scientific confirmation. No reports does not guarantee no jellyfish, and a report does not mean the beach is closed.
Sources and credits
We use forecasts from Open-Meteo and Open-Meteo Marine, including sea-surface temperature from the Météo-France model; warnings from AEMET; and publications by the Junta de Andalucía and coastal town halls where available.
Check the date shown in the beach details. Forecasts represent model areas, and actual conditions may differ.
Map context comes from © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Seabed information uses the MITECO Ecocartography (2008–2009), not a current inspection. Photo authors and licences remain available in Credits.
Before entering the water
Conditions can change quickly. Beach signs, lifeguards and authorities always prevail. Check the actual situation on arrival. If you find an error, use Contact; information about report data is available in Privacy.
Weather icons distinguish sky conditions, rain, drizzle, snow, freezing precipitation and thunderstorms with hail where data support them. Icons distinguish the forecast precipitation type and intensity. Percentages express the chance of precipitation and accompany precipitation icons. All hourly information is a forecast. The percentage indicates probability, not intensity. A meaningful chance of rain limits our recommendation, even with light winds and calm seas. We account for the affected hours within the selected period; this is our own indicative criterion, not an official safety assessment. The icon represents the forecast weather condition and distinguishes intensities when supported by the data. Probability alone does not turn a cloud icon into rain; it may affect the recommendation and is explained in the summary. Small probabilities may be omitted; zero is omitted and “—” means the value is unavailable. Period symbols retain relevant weather, with its times shown in the forecast. They do not replace official flags or warnings.
Nearby alternatives
Beach pages may suggest up to two nearby beaches with clearly better estimated bathing conditions for the same date and period. We compare complete, current local forecasts and retain official warning and flag restrictions. Compact cards show the selected period; wind, gusts and waves are maxima for that period. If data are insufficient or no clear improvement is found, we say so. The separate nearby list is geographic, not a recommendation. In both lists, “Better” and “Worse” compare wind, gusts and waves for the same period against the beach being viewed; they are omitted when comparable data are missing or displayed values do not differ. Distances are straight-line estimates, not road routes or travel times. Check each page and access before travelling; conditions can vary within a beach.
Last revised: 2026-10-23 · Versión en español